So far, to review my last few blog entries, I have gone from writer to screenwriter, then to producer and then to director. I never really seriously considered that there was even farther to go on this unplanned journey. But I guess there is always farther to go and more to learn, especially if it seems there is no real destination to the journey.

I never ever had any ambitions or aspirations to be an editor. When I write, sure that is a given, and always major part of writing. But as far as in the filmed media world, no, no, my interests did not live there. However ….

Over the years, as far back as the 1980’s I found myself in situations where I had to learn certain facets of film/video editing. No, I never actually did cut any film strips, but I did sit with a couple different editors and watch them at their flatbed benches work with real 35mm and 16mm celluloid. I knew pretty early that wasn’t for me.

When videotape came around, I did set up a video editing station in my house to edit some videotape I had shot. But it wasn’t pleasant, and it was mostly out of necessity and convenience. At that point I was shooting informational, industrial, and even a few commercials for people. Nothing big, just small time stuff. The linear tape editing part I had to do, but didn’t particularly enjoy it. There were some parts I found gratifying, but it was usually too tedious and slow for me.

Years later when I started taking those directing classes in which I did some shorts, we had to deliver a final film. So that meant either sitting with an editor, or doing hands on editing myself. By then, we weren’t using tape anymore, as most everything had gone to digital nonlinear hardware and software. I had to admit that I did enjoy it more then, but still wasn’t on my list of top things to do.

When I directed my first feature more than a decade ago, I worked very closely with our editor. That process was fairly grueling to me, even though I did enjoy facets of it. Yes, it was hard work, for sure, as the weeks and months rolled by. It got to me how long this part of the process takes, but I hung there as I should and would. And there were additional benefits, as I do feel that I learned a number of things that could help me grow as both a writer and a director.

Several years after that project I had been editing a documentary, on a subject that interested me greatly. I was actually having more fun doing this, as I had no time pressure and I got to play with all kinds of images and musical pieces. While doing this I felt I was really growing in my editorial skills, and actually expanding my abilities as an overall filmmaker. And then our current project, “One Hand Clapping,” came along, and I have yet to finish that doc. On the back burner for now.

And right now as I write this, I am in the throes of organizing, executing, and preparing a rough cut of “One Hand Clapping.” And has it been something! I have gone through so many ideas, feelings, thoughts, emotions, opinions, considerations, inspirations, conceptions, meditations, judgments, which have all excited me on many different levels. I have a strong feeling this is going to be a film standing apart from most others, in ways that I cannot quite communicate yet. It is hitting me in a way that is still hard to express verbally …

And actually, that is all quite fine with me. The one main thing I can reveal at this point … is that this film is still going to take some time to be what it fully can be … and I have some work to bring it into the world the way it is meant to be … but it will all be worth it.

JAD